Little Scholars Educators Guide by Little Scholars Learning

Educator Guide mylittlescholars.com.au

@LittleScholarsEarlyLearning

In 2036, the children currently enrolled in our campuses will be adults. Some will be graduating from university, while others will have started their careers. Perhaps those with an adventurous spirit may be travelling the world. Which is why what we do now matters greatly. We acknowledge that what we do today, with how we educate and care for children, directly impacts the future. We recognise the incredible honour we have of educating and caring for children. This is why, across all of our campuses, we’re working with our families and educators to create a vision for what we desire the world to look like in 2036, when our Little Scholars aren’t so little anymore, but rather active members of the community. We have a responsibility - now - to ensure we’re providing the best environment for the future generation to thrive. We want children to be curious, to be searching, to show up in their brilliance. We’re committed in ensuring we’re the power to make great change, and lasting positive impact in this world. Amongst these curious little minds are future leaders, innovators, scholars, explorers, entrepreneurs and humanitarians. The future looks bright – and it’s in our hands.

It takes a village to raise a child, and we believe that our vision to create a better world can be realised.

Welcome

Philosophy

Four Pillars

Prior to Starting

Interactions

Learning Environments

Documentation

Programs

Events

Group Expectations

Welcome to Little Scholars. We’re thrilled to have you join our family. My last 20+ years of hands-on experience as a teacher in the Early Childhood and Education sector has allowed me to create something special, Little Scholars School of Early Learning. Little Scholars was founded and is run by myself, Jae Fraser, a former teacher, as well I’ve served as president and active executive of Australia Childcare Alliance. I believe educators play such a valuable part in shaping the future by guiding children through the learning process during those critical first five years of brain development. Early educators help lay the foundation for children to become whatever

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Educator Guide

they put their minds to – future leaders, innovators, scholars, explorers, entrepreneurs and humanitarians.

Much educational research focuses on the importance of the educator in assisting children to achieve and grow. We invest in our greatest resources – the people. We encourage professional excellence in all staff. Educators who are the leaders in their field, committed to their purpose of educating young people, and who are genuinely passionate about their work. We aim to create campuses of excellence. Our environments are incredibly important and set us apart from other services. Contemporary theories and research informed by the Reggio Emilia approach recognise and value the environment as a ‘third teacher’. Behind educators and families, physical spaces hold the potential to influence what and how children learn. We need to always ensure they are beautiful, inspiring and engaging for children. Our goal is to provide exciting experiences and activities for children to learn through play. We strive to provide educators with valuable tools, strategies, and assistance to creative a positive and effective learning environment. Our supportive resources offered to campuses enhance teaching practices and facilitate learning and development for all children. Some of the resources include professional development, this is met through networking workshops and training sessions tailored to the educators needs. Our comprehensive curriculum guides outlining the scope and sequence of the curriculum. Resources to support educational objectives and outcomes, through activities, aligning to the curriculum needs are regularly made available. These support resources enable educators to enhance their pedagogical approaches, meeting diverse needs of children and creating a nurturing and enriching learning environment for all children.

We strive for all at little scholars to be the best they can be. Little Scholars School of Early Learning has always recognised and embraced digital technologies as an important educational tool and equally the natural learning environment is an integral piece of our journey to preparing children for life. We must be contemporary in our practices and thinking if we are to educate and support children in a hyperconnected world. At the same time our foundations of strong, positive relationships are at the heart of all we do. We want our Little Scholars to be responsible, community and sustainability aware, and caring citizens of the world, whose opportunities in education give them the platform to step into amazing futures.

We look forward to you being a part of our ambition to create a better world, a better future and have a hand in bringing to life our vision for learning through play.

-Jae Fraser

Founder, Little Scholars School of Early Learning

Educator Guide

Philosophy It is our mission to ensure that our curriculum, environments, and relationships enable children to grow and fulfil their potential, actively learn through play and engaging intentional teaching. We aim for inspiring programs and strategic planning to contribute, influence and shape the development of our children, educators and community. Our early childhood education philosophy, developed in conjunction with educators and families, reflects and upholds our beliefs and values. Together we take the time to build the individual foundations of education and care of all children’s future.

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Diversity We value every child as a unique individual who brings his or her own special qualities to our campus. Educators recognise diversity as a valuable resource and actively listen to each child to learn what is important to them and respond to their interests. We strongly advocate for all children to receive equal opportunities regardless of socio-economic background, ethnicity, sex, race or physical ability. We support children to understand, appreciate, and respect various social and cultural diversities within their community. We acknowledge and are committed to teaching the histories and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have a unique and enduring relationship to the lands and territories now known as Australia.

Relationships Little Scholars strives to provide the highest standard of care and education in a secure and trusting environment in which children feel a sense of belonging. We support children to form positive relationships with peers, educators and environments, while recognising their existing relationships with their family and community. We prioritise building strong partnerships with our families to extend on home experiences and meet individual family needs and beliefs, supporting each child’s growth and development.

Curriculum We are guided by the Early Years Learning Framework and the Framework for School Age Care (My Time, Our Place) in developing programs that support children to develop in a holistic manner, including socially, cognitively, emotionally, physically, and morally. Our curriculum promotes play-based learning whereby children lead the program through their evolving interests and abilities to navigate learning experiences through their chosen play. We view children as capable and active contributors in their own learning. We support them to explore, research and investigate the world around them to support their curiosity and foster a positive attitude towards lifelong learning.

Environment Our environment is designed to evolve with the children’s interests, ideas, play and developmental capabilities. We endeavour to create an extension of the child’s home; a place where they feel safe, secure and comfortable. Environments promote multi-age play and experiences, supporting peer interactions and collaboration. The indoor and outdoor spaces allow children to feel connected to the natural world, fostering a sense of responsibility to contribute to a sustainable environmental future. The environment is enriched with possibilities that allow children to construct new experiences, make new discoveries, and develop and acquire new skills.

Professional Development High standards are held of all our educators at Little Scholars School of Early Learning. The expectations are that educators embody integrity, compassion, respect, and motivation for high quality service delivery. We are committed to continuous practice improvement. Our team embraces critical reflections and is encouraged to professionally challenge themselves and others. We provide opportunities for continuous professional learning to keep up to date with new and innovating ideas about pedagogy and practice.

Advocacy & Leadership We uphold the principles outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We advocate for children’s right to play, providing the time, space and freedom to play, take risks, and navigate everyday life. Our team provides encouragement and support for all children to participate fully in our program. We demonstrate respect for children by collaborating with them to provide meaningful play and learning opportunities which support their wellbeing and development. We believe that sharing what we do with the community and inspiring innovation in others, we are advocating for a better future for all children. Educator Guide

The Little Scholars Four Pillars Grow

Learn

The Grow Pillar is dedicated to providing a nurturing and stimulating environment where your children can thrive, learn, play and grow, setting a strong foundation for their future. We provide tailored, age-specific early learning and childcare across four key stages: nursery, toddlers, pre-kindy, and kindy. Our expertly designed programs cater to the unique needs and developmental milestones of each age group. Little Scholars is also dedicated to the continuous improvement and personal and professional development, nurturing the growth of our team members. We invest in the growth of our team by providing opportunities for ongoing training, access to professional development, through dedicated professional learning days and in-service workshops and webinars, as well as the support from our operations team. This ensures that our educators stay up to date with the latest trends, leading a contemporary curriculum, supporting children to thrive within the environments and teaching we provide.

The Learn Pillar recognises the importance of fostering a culture of continuous learning, through ongoing education and knowledge acquisition, through our curriculum, environments and relationships which enable children to grow and fulfil their potential, actively learn through play and engaging intentional teaching. We aim for inspiring programs and strategic planning to contribute, influence and shape the development of our children, educators and community. We also support the continued learning of our educators, through our enhanced training programs, online learning platform and educational materials to provide a wealth of resources for our team members to expand and explore knowledge. Our professional knowledge and growth enhance the quality of our programs, aiming to support children to adopt the love of learning and thrive in their development and they learn new skill through advanced teaching practices.

Inspire

Contribute

The Inspire Pillar embodies our commitment to fostering inspiration and motivation among children, our educators and the wider community. We embrace creativity and innovation, encouraging team members to explore new ways of enriching the learning experiences for children. We believe we have a privilege of bringing magic to a child’s day by creating beautiful, whimsical, and inspiring learning spaces that will stir creativity, learning and exploration. Inside and outside we aim to set up inviting, interesting, and uncluttered spaces for children to explore.

The Contribute pillar embodies our commitment to making a positive impact on our educational community. We actively engage with the community through our extracurricular programs, partner with our families, to foster community involvement and participation in our educational programs. We believe that by actively contributing and engaging in meaningful projects and initiatives, we can make a positive and lasting impact.

These four pillars work together to provide a strong and unified framework, ensuring that everyone within our organisation understands and aligns with our purpose, objectives, and principles. Our pillars serve as a compass, guiding us and helping us stay true to our mission and vision, while upholding our core values and fostering a positive and inclusive culture.

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Prior to Starting Human Resources (HR) Before you start at Little Scholars you will receive a login for Employment Hero, our online HR system. There’s an accompanying app for Employment Hero called the Swag app, where you can access all your information including payroll, book annual leave and more. It is important that you login, update your personal information stored in here and then read through and sign all the documents in your on-boarding pack. These will include documents such as your employment contract and terms, payroll details, WH&S information and other important policies and documents. You must also have a current Working with Children Check (Blue Card) prior to starting your first shift at the campus, and this needs to be uploaded onto Employment Hero or given to your campus manager.

Dress and Uniform Standards It is important that you dress professional when you come to the campus each day. As early childhood educators we are professionals in our field, and we need to ensure that our dress standards match this. All employees receive two uniform tops and a hat. Laundry facilities are available at each campus for you to launder the provided uniforms if desired. A name badge is also part of the Little Scholars dress code. This must be worn at all times at the campus. It is also important that you wear suitable closed in footwear. Please do not wear jeans, active wear, leggings or short shorts.

Position Description and Expectations When you first begin you will receive a position description through Employment Hero outlining the expectations Little Scholars has for your role. We pride ourselves on having high quality standards and the expectations for each of our educators is also high. If there is any part of your position description you do not understand or think you may need additional training and support with, please let your campus manager know, as we are more than happy to add this to a training plan for you.

Little Scholars Induction You will have a campus tour and induction prior to starting your first rostered shift. This is also your opportunity to ask any questions you may have. You will be also invited to an induction night with Melanie, Little Scholars’ operations manager. This is compulsory that you attend this session. These nights are held once per term.

Interactions Positive Interactions with Children Your interactions and engagement with children should always be warm, responsive, respectful and trusting. Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included.

What does this look like: » Educators getting down to children’s level » Educators engaging with children in a positive way – playing, questioning, reading, comforting, talking, singing, dancing and more » Educators responding to children when upset » Sitting and engaging in relaxed and unhurried two-way conversations with children, particularly at mealtimes » Engaging with children in conversations throughout the day or session, talking about what is happening around them and what they are learning

What does this sound like: » Positive words » Calm voices » Excited and happy children » Educators explaining to children and asking openended questions

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Strategies to assist positive interactions PRIMARY CAREGIVING » An approach used particularly in the nursery and toddler studios to ensure secure and trusting bonds and relationships are formed with younger children. This approach encourages children to spend majority of their daily routines with their primary caregiver and the educator with whom they have formed an initial bond. ABECEDARIAN APPROACH AUSTRALIA » This approach consists of language as a priority every day with every interaction, conversational reading with individuals or pairs of children, enriched caregiving within daily routines and learning games with children. We provide training each term.

Educator Guide

Learning Environments At Little Scholars, we believe that the environment is the third teacher, adapted from the Reggio Emilia theory. The physical environment and the learning spaces that we set up for children contribute to children’s wellbeing, creativity and developing independence. Inside we aim to set up inviting, interesting, and uncluttered spaces for children to explore. The indoor environment should be made up of a variety of areas include quiet areas, building and construction, dining area, creative expression and arts, dramatic play, and more. The children’s lockers should be in a suitable place for families and should also be near your curriculum area. Your shelving and equipment should be utilised in creative ways – try and create spaces for children to be in. Your dining areas should include tables and chairs (to promote progressive meals), a buffet or shelf just for dining equipment and at the child’s level to create independence. Talk to your environment warrior or campus manager if you need some guidance getting started.

Educator Guide

DISPLAYS THROUGHOUT THE ROOM In each studio you will have three main areas to display information for families and children.

CURRICULUM AREA

CURRENT PROJECTS

ART GALLERY

This will contain your monthly program, important information about the curriculum for families, photos of the educators in that studio and the individual educators’ philosophies. This should be displayed neatly in frames or on clipboards and should always be up to date.

This area should display children’s learning and in particular their current ideas and interests or projects. This may consist of learning stories, photos or artwork and should be displayed in frames. These projects should be linked to back to the outcomes, principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), the National Quality Standards (NQS), theories and current research.

This space should reflect children’s voices, but also showcase artwork that children or educators are particularly proud of and would like displayed.

These are the main areas where learning should be displayed. If you are going to display any other learning, photos, or artwork outside of these areas, please ensure you are using a frame or clipboard and please do not use blu-tac. You also need to carefully consider the purpose of the display prior to adding it to your room. Does it show children, educators and families what has been happening in your program? What is the purpose of displaying it? Also please consider the height at which you are displaying learning. If it is adult focused, please display at eye level. If it is for children, please display at their level. There should be nothing displayed higher than window height.

Children’s portfolios should also be displayed within the room and be available for families, educators and children at all times with up-to-date learning and goals for children. When displaying anything in your studio, you need to be able to explain why this is important for children’s learning and development.

Educator Guide

Setting Up at the End of the Day

Equipment and Resources

As a professional educator you should be taking pride in your room, the experiences you are setting up for the children and learning displays you have throughout your room. As well as being thoroughly cleaned by the end of the day, you room should also be beautifully presented for the children for the next day. This means that each learning area will need to re-set and consider if anything needs to be added to each space according to the needs of the children. Each area should display what the children have been interested in and learning in this space and should also be set up for the next day. Children should be encouraged to be involved in this process.

The equipment and resources in your room should always be in good condition, respected and wellpresented for children. As a Little Scholars educator, we know you take pride in your room and the resources that you have. If at any time you feel you don’t have enough resources in your room to fully engage in your program, or something is missing or broken, you need to add this to your campus’s shopping list. This is your responsibility as an educator to ensure you are requesting the tools you require for your role if you do not currently have them. If a resource of piece of equipment is broken or worn, please notify your Campus Manger immediately.

For example, if you noticed during the day that the children were particularly interested in cooking in the dramatic play area, when re-setting at the end of the day add another element to this area to extend their learning and ideas. This may be different items to cook with, different food items that may be from various cultures, add in some real-life cooking materials, or set up a sensory tray nearby to extend on these skills. Then add this straight to your program for the following day. You should also have a diffuser in your room to keep it smelling fresh and beautiful all the time.

At our campuses, we encourage the use of open-ended resources, natural and wooden resources, and loose parts. The use of plastic toys should be limited as they are not environmentally sustainable or durable. As part of your daily routine, please teach the children to respect their environment and the resources and encourage children to participate in packing away and cleaning. It is a valuable daily learning experience for children to be involved in setting the table, wiping down the art area, packing away their dirty dishes and watering the studio plants. Also remember that larger items such as tables, chairs, shelving, lockers, home corner equipment, all need to be cleaned regularly and well maintained. There will be several cleaning registers and schedules throughout the campus you should review and use. The outdoor environment offers children a different experience to the indoor environment, one that is just important and is well planned and thought out. Each campus has an environment warrior whose role it is to oversee the indoor and outdoor environments, in partnership with studio educators. The outdoor environment provides the children opportunities to interact with natural materials, such as grass, sand, dirt/mud, gardens, plants, water, and rocks. It also provides a space for larger gross motor development including running, climbing, kicking, throwing, jumping, skipping, balancing, digging, etc. Your outdoor program should include a variety of these activities as well as areas for quieter play and rest, investigation, and inquiry areas. Children should also be learning about how to be responsible for the outdoor environment, including taking care of the grass, plants, gardens and any animals you have outside.

Educator Guide

Sun Protection It is important to remember that any time you or the children are outside you must wear a hat. Please ensure you clearly label your hat when you first receive it and keep it in a convenient location in the campus. All children also receive a hat on enrolment, and every child needs to wear a hat when they are outside. Children should also have sunscreen applied 20 minutes prior to going outside, and should be wearing suitable clothing. Please remember that babies under 12 months should not be in the direct sunlight and their sunscreen needs to be suitable for their age. During the summer months, in particular, you should be checking the UV rating throughout the day and set up experiences in shaded areas.

Routines There should be a flexible routine displayed in each room of your campus, to outline important transitions throughout the day. The routine should account for large periods of time for uninterrupted play so that children have the opportunity to immerse themselves in their play. The routine should be flexible as we need to be adaptable in your days, as children’s needs and interests will often change. It should also be unhurried, so not to rush children quickly from one activity to the next. Children need time to adjust and transitions from one activity to the next should be seen as a learning opportunity.

Progressive Meals We encourage progressive meals throughout the studios at our campuses. This will account for the varying needs of the children throughout the room. To encourage this, we have dining areas set up in each of the studios so children know that this area is where they eat – just like at home. Children are encouraged to be involved in setting the table, getting their own crockery and cutlery, drink bottle or glasses of water and having a choice in what they have at mealtimes. Children can eat in small groups, always supervised by an educator. This allows children to play uninterrupted and eat at a time when they need. All children are still able to eat at every mealtime, and this is recorded on the daily information sheet. Children will be encouraged to have something to eat if the mealtime is coming to an end and they haven’t eaten yet, or it can be stored (in fridge if required) for another time. Progressive meals are all about giving children a choice and some responsibility about when they eat. This also creates a calmer environment for children to enjoy their meals and for educators to spend time with these smaller groups of children.

Progressive meals are all about giving children a choice and some responsibility about when they eat.

Educator Guide

Indoor/Outdoor Play

Health and Hygiene Practices

We encourage simultaneous indoor and outdoor play in each of our studios. This gives the children flexibility in their play, as well as additional space to utilise so as not to crowd children. This needs to be well supervised and well planned. Educators need to be communicating effectively during this time, so every child is always accounted for, when moving between these environments. It is important that an opportunity to rest or have quiet time is provided throughout the day for all children and there should be a space set up in your room for children to go if they are feeling tired outside the campus’s usual ‘rest period’. During rest period, children do not need to sleep and should never be forced to sleep or lay on their beds. Children who do not sleep or rest during the campus’s designated ‘rest period’ should be given another activity.

Hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs within the campus. Please ensure you are thoroughly washing your hands when entering the campus, prior to handling food, when wiping children’s noses and faces when changing a child’s nappy or helping children with toileting. Please ensure you are aware of the correct hand washing procedure – displayed throughout the campus – and all the appropriate times to be washing your hands.

Grouping Children There should be a good balance of small group experiences with children and larger group experiences. At all times you need to consider the amount of children, the age of children and your expectations of the children for the activity they are involved in. For example, older children in the kindergarten room are more likely to sit for a longer amount of time engaged with an activity or story than a toddler. Also, if you are involving the children in a larger group experience, you also need to consider those children who do not want to participate or at not engaged – these children should not be forced to join.

When working within the younger studios it is also important to remember that these children will often put items into their mouths. There should be a mouthed toys container in each of these studios so once a child has finished with the item it can be placed in here for cleaning and sanitising. Please also ensure dummies are always kept in labelled containers and bottles have labelled lids on them when being stored. Please familiarise yourself with the cleaning chemicals used throughout the campuses, as well as the correct cleaning procedure for different areas of the campus. You should also familiarise yourself with ‘Staying Healthy in Childcare’, which is a document we used to inform our practices around health and hygiene practices and policies at our campus.

Shoe-Free Nursery Our goal of a shoe-free nursery is to create a conducive, clean, and safe environment for young children to learn and grow. It promotes hygiene and cleanliness, eliminating our infants and young children exposed to germs outdoor shoes can carry, this is particularly important as our young children will play on the floor. Promoting a shoe-free nursery can also be beneficial to children that may have allergies, this minimises the risk to the introduction of outdoor allergens being carried into the indoor space. It also supports a respectful space, where the practice fosters a sense of respect for the indoor learning environment for our infants, helping children understand that it is a space dedicated to play, learning and exploration. If you are an educator working in the nursery, you will be required to wear nonslip socks and you can have slip-on shoes for wet areas. All families and anyone else entering the studio will need to remove their shoes, or in the instances where they cannot, we can provide shoe covers. This ensures that our babies who are constantly on the floor are not encountering germs and bacteria brought in from people’s shoes.

Educator Guide

Documentation Critical Reflection It is important that all educators are also involved in the critical reflection of the curriculum. At times we will need to think deeply and broadly about our practices, our programs and things that are affecting the children’s daily experience with us. We will often need to research different practice models and consider different theorists or teaching strategies/methods as we strive to continuously improve our practice. As an educator at any level, it is important that you have a voice at your campus and we each have something unique to bring to our service. Please ensure your voice is represented in this journal.

Weekly/Monthly Programs The Collective is a campus-wide, multi-faceted educational initiative, its development involves a collaborative and intentional process, based upon early childhood pedagogy. The Collective is designed to enhance each child’s learning to flourish in their development and supports quality interaction between educators and children. The value of our educational program identifies children’s individual learning goals and objectives. These goals are aligned with the developmental needs of our young learners, including progression to their cognitive, social, emotional, physical and language development. Together in partnership with families, assessment to the needs and interests of children identify relevant topics or themes that inform the foundation of The Collective. Educators collaboratively design learning experiences alongside and with children to align with their learning goals, promoting active exploration, inquiry where children’s play takes focus. The Collective supports an integrated approach to assessment, where all educators share input to the collective response to children’s learning.

The Collective curriculum promotes inclusivity and reflects diverse perspectives and abilities fostering a positive learning environment for all children. Our curriculum approach within The Collective supports educators to adopt theory and put this into practice, which is actioned through a mind mapping approach. This sets a visual, whereby educators can make connections to children’s learning, through their observations and assessment of children through their play. Educators explore the child’s interactions and behaviours to the environment and experiences and scaffold the child’s learning, through a dynamic response method of applying intentionality to their teaching and ways of working with the children. Educators will co-program with and alongside children, exploring their big ideas and theories. Our Collective, empowers children to take ownership of their learning process, encouraging extended play periods, whereby children explore through their curiosity, becoming active explorers and developing into effective learners and critical thinkers. Children are encouraged to think critically, fostering higher-order thinking skills. The Collective allows for flexibility to our programs and supports a representation of generated ideas between the children and the educators. The Collective fosters a deep understanding of concepts and strengthens our reflective process, involving children, educators, families and the broader community. It encourages active engagement, supports creativity, and enhances overall learning experiences for children.

What does this look like: Each week a reflection should be sent to families through our online system – KindyHub. This is a reflection of the significant learnings that happened during the week, as well as an update on any on going projects and reminders for families. There should be photos attached with individual families receiving four to five photos of their child per day. Every child needs to be set up in KindyHub and families receiving photos and updates from their first day. The daily reflection does not need to be too long and does not need to take a large amount of time to write. It is also a good idea to have older children involved in the daily reflection write up to incorporate their ideas and learning from the day. There are also many other functions available in KindyHub including individual observation for children, family stories, internal evaluations, tracking learning outcomes and much more. Further training on KindyHub will be provided to you at the campus.

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A learning portfolio is a collection of organised, purposeful information and items by and about individuals that provide insights and an overview of learning and development over time. Portfolios Each child will have an individual learning portfolio, which are set up ready for the children’s first day. A learning portfolio is a collection of organised, purposeful information and items by and about individuals that provide insights and an overview of learning and development over time. Portfolios can include observations, photographic records, learning stories, conversations, reflections, artefacts, descriptions, questions and analysis of learning. For children and families, portfolios can offer the chance to become part of a collaborative process where all contributions are welcomed and add to the understanding of children’s learning in family and community contexts. What separates portfolios from scrapbooks and books of memoirs is that they encourage a comprehensive and indepth reflection of the journey, from a holistic perspective over time, legitimising future goals and expectations. By providing rich sources of documentation – including examples of a child’s learning stories, drawings, writings, constructions, songs, poems and self-reflections through photographs, aural and visual recordings, anecdotal notes and other observations – a kaleidoscope of learning and development is formed. Learning portfolios are kept up to date at all times and available for families and children to view and also to add to. Portfolios can also be a nice addition to the reading or quiet area in the older rooms, so children can reflect on their own learning and time at the campus.

Observations The first stage and part of the on-going planning cycle is observing children. All educators should be involved in observing children’s learning either for individual children or groups of children. If you are an assistant or support educator, please ensure that you are jotting down notes about individual children (or small groups of children) during the day and give this to the lead educator in the studio. This can then be used for further planning for the room. This could be as simple as “whilst I was in the kindy studio today covering a lunch I noticed that there was a small group of children discussing planets and the moon – they were interested in knowing the different names of the planets, some knew a couple of planets.”

Checklists and Daily Paperwork There will be many other forms and paperwork that need to be completed throughout the day in the campus. This may include: cleaning checklists, responsible person log, open and close procedures, playground safety checklist, working directly with children check, fridge temp check, daily information for children, nappy change chart, sleep check, etc. Please ensure you are aware of what to complete each day and if you’re not sure, please ask.

Educator Guide

Programs

As young learners take ownership of their learning they, ‘feel increasingly

Project Work A project approach is an in-depth exploration of a topic that may be child-or teacher initiated and involve an individual, a group of children, or the whole class. A project may be short-term or long-term depending on the level of children’s interests. The project approach provides opportunities for children to take agency of their own learning and represent this learning through the construction of personally meaningful artefacts.

The benefits of a project approach are that young learners are directly involved in making decisions about the topic focus and research questions, the processes of investigation and in the selection of the culminating activities. When young learners take an active role in decision-making, agency and engagement is promoted. A good place to start with a project would be to utilise our “Know, Want, Learn” template. What do we already know? What do we want to find out? What did we learn? 20

Educator Guide

competent and sense their own potential for learning so they develop feelings of confidence and self-esteem’ (Chard, 2001).

PROGRAMS TO BUILD CHILDREN’S SOCIAL/ EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Building a supportive studio climate takes time and flexibility as routines, expectations and accepted ways of interacting with peers and adults are established and maintained. Some things to consider in your daily routine and program:

Discuss

Look

Create

Discuss daily routines regularly so that young learners develop a sense of routine and know what to expect. Use of a daily timetable provides visual cues for young learners about what is happening throughout their day.

Look for opportunities to promote and acknowledge positive behaviours when young learners are observed demonstrating empathy, kindness and concern and helpfulness towards peers.

Create opportunities for young learners to feel successful as part of studios daily life in a variety of contexts whether socially, physically, intellectually or emotionally.

Promote

Model

Promote a ‘can do’ and ‘have a go’ attitude where young learners feel confident to try new experiences and try again when experiences don’t go according to plan. Educators can model this attitude through ‘think aloud’ strategies for example, ‘When I try something new I sometimes get butterflies in my tummy (identifying the emotion), then I tell myself, ‘You might need to try this a few times before it gets easier and that’s okay’ (acknowledging the feeling and identifying positive self-talk).

Model ways to celebrate others’ achievements in all aspects of the daily program. – ‘Finn can you share how you solved the problem for showing bundles of ten in your work?’ – ‘Milly thank you for sharing your pencils with Zac that was kind. It shows him what a good friend you are.’ – ‘Layla used a capital letter at the start of her sentence, good remembering Layla’. These examples use specific strategies including cuing young learners by name before identifying the action, behaviour or learning that is being celebrated.

Model

Recognise

Model ways for young learners to relax, and self-regulate to help them refocus and settle, for example, through relaxation exercises, songs, rhyme and movement.

Recognise that young learners respond to physical proximity, gestures and communicative styles in ways that reflect cultural values, experience, and personal preferences. Adjust interactional approaches accordingly.

Educator Guide

Floor Books The Floor Book Approach is an innovative child-led approach to observation, documentation and planning which is now implemented in settings around the world. By listening to children and identifying their interests we can create a unique learning opportunity which excites and interests’ children. Floor books are blank books where we can record children’s voices and their ideas to use in our planning. Group writing in a floor book allows shared thinking as children recall ideas and record them through writing, diagrams and photographs. This child centred approach records the evidence of the process of play and the learning that comes from it. There should be a floor book recording children’s voice in each studio, as well as the outdoor environment.

STEM/STEAM Program Science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM) are incorporated into our studio programs and into the learning environment. All of these topics integrate with the Early Years Learning Framework outcomes, principles and practices and are part of our daily curriculum. Lab Kids is a program that comes to all of our kindergarten studios to provide quality science-based shows and resources.

Abecedarian Strategies Enriched caregiving involves adding learning content into our routine times. Conversational reading involves asking children questions when reading a story and providing an interactive experience. The 3A Abecedarian Approach Australia incorporates a variety of strategies for you to include into your weekly program and learning environments – these include enriched caregiving, learning games and conversational reading.

Finger Gym Before children can learn how to write they need to develop their fine motor skills and strength in their fingers. Finger gym is an area set up in the older studios to promote fine motor development. This can be easy and simple activity including threading, using tongs, cutting, sorting, pasting, etc.

Extra-Curricular Activities Each day our campuses provide an extra-curricular activity as part of our programs. This is no cost to the families and these cover a range of activities. These should be added to your program and followed up during the course of the week. Some of the activities provided are: sport and fitness classes, music and dance classes, gardening program, language classes, yoga and mindfulness, and more. For more information about specific days and times for your campus classes please see your campus manager.

Excursions We encourage excursions at our campus and offer a wide variety of experiences outside the campus and around the local community at our centre. As part of our campus’s community plan we involve the children in excursions to the local bushland or park areas (Bush Kinder), beach and waterfront areas (Beach Kinder), libraries, aged care homes, local schools and other community areas. Each of our campuses also have a four-seater pram so we can also take our babies and toddlers out into the community. These are all valuable experiences for our children and let them experience their local community.

Educator Guide

Events We have an annual events calendar at Little Scholars which outlines special celebrations and events. We take great pride in our campus events, and these are always wonderful experiences for children, families and educators. We will involve our educators in the planning and organising of these events and make them an extra special occasion for all involved. Each event comes with a budget, a time frame, suggestions for resources and involvement from educators and families. Some of the events include – annual Teddy Bear Picnic, Christmas parties, Easter parties, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and Grandparents Day.

Community Events

Date Night

It is also important that we know what is going on in our local community and participate where we can. These can include school events, markets, open days, etc. We can take the children along to these events where appropriate or encourage families to attend.

Each quarter our campuses participates in Date Night. This is a service we offer to our families on a Friday night and gives them an opportunity to spend some quality time together, particularly those who do not have friends and relatives that live close by. This is a fun night with movies, dinner and special treats. Educators who participate receive cash on the night. We encourage all our educators to participate in at least one date night per year.

Little Scholars campuses have dedicated community officers who help plan, facilitate campus events, visits and visitors, as well as keep an eye on community events or causes we can support.

School Relationships As part of our transition to school program, we form strong relationships with our local state schools and any schools where children completing their Kindy year might be attending. We regularly communicate with the Prep teachers and other teachers at this school and organise transition visits for the children to visit the school prior to them attending.

Other Community Services Each of our campuses have a relationship with several community health professional and services. These professionals will often attend our campuses to assist both educator and families in the holistic development of our children. We have professionals such as dentists, optometrists, speech therapists, hearing specialists, podiatrists, occupational therapists, behaviour specialists available and regularly attending the campuses as part of our Family Time program. This is particularly important for kindy children to be assessed in preparation for school but can also be a good support and help for busy families.

Educator Guide

Trainings and Conferences We have a yearly calendar outlining leadership meetings and trainings for the year for specific educator groups. These meetings and trainings include campus manager meetings, 2IC meetings and training, educational leader meeting, ECT meetings, chef meetings, Abecedarian training and more. The calendar of all of these dates should be available in the staff room. We also hold an annual Learning and Development Day. All educators from all our campuses are invited to attend a day of professional development with guest speakers, networking opportunities, lunch, special gifts and more.

Parent Teacher Meetings Parent teacher meeting are offered at our campuses twice per year. These will be run by the lead educators in the rooms and offer families an opportunity to discuss their child’s learning in a more formal manner. At these meetings educators should discuss the children’s portfolios, an update on their learning and any concerns they may have. Families can also discuss their goals for their children and anything they would like us to incorporate into the program.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN Each campus has a Quality Improvement Plan that outlines the campus’s strengths and areas for improvement for each quality area as outlined in the National Quality Standards – these being:

QUALITY AREA 1 Educational Program and Practice QUALITY AREA 2 Children’s Health and Safety QUALITY AREA 3 Physical Environment QUALITY AREA 4 Staffing Arrangements QUALITY AREA 5 Relationships with Children QUALITY AREA 6 Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities QUALITY AREA 7 Governance and Leadership

All educators need to contribute to the self-assessment process and the quality improvement process at the campus. All educators should be regularly reflecting on each of these areas and the elements contained in these areas. This can be done through the peer reflection journal, staff meeting, studio meetings, critical reflection journals and discussions with others, including your educational leader and campus manager. Our campuses are supported by our quality practice manager, who leads the development and implementation of quality control procedures and practices, guidance, mentoring and support of our educational leaders, ensuring that our commitment to excellence remains at the forefront of everything we do.

Educator Guide

The Scholars Group Expectations Campus Policies – Your Responsibilities

Workplace Health and Safety

We have a number of campus policies and procedures that set out the expectations and guidelines of our campus. These are created in conjunction with the National Law and Regulations as well as the National Quality Framework. These policies are also regularly reviewed with all educators and also families and as the need arises. All educators need to have read and signed all our campus policies within the first month of starting at the campus. These are all allocated to you on employment when you first start at the campus.

Workplace health and safety (WH&S) is everyone’s responsibility. During induction you should have read through several policies and documents in regard to WH&S. Please ensure that you report any hazards or incidents to a member of the leadership team as soon as you notice this. We need to ensure we are maintaining a safe environment for everyone at the campus at all times.

Career Progression We strongly encourage all our educators to be lifelong learners. It is important that you are continually growing, researching and learning as an educator. We also encourage internal promotions within the campus prior to advertising positions externally. If you are looking for a challenge or a change, please ensure you discuss this with your campus manager or operations manager, so we can support you with this and discuss a training plan with you. The Scholars Group – Facebook Group Little Scholars educators have a closed Facebook group, which provides a platform for educators and the leadership team to share ideas, share videos and photos, post questions, network, share articles and more. Simply search for us on Facebook, answer some simple questions and you are in.

Social Media Content We also love sharing the amazing learning experiences we provide for our children with the wider community. If you are particularly proud of a project, experience, photo or adventure you have had with the children please send it to your content creator so they can upload it to their shared album, or email marketing@thescholarsgroup.com.au. Please ensure all children have media consent prior to sending through. Please ensure children are wearing sun-safe clothing and hats with outdoor photos, and that there is nothing that could be considered compromising. While our social media officers are strategic in what they share on our social channels, it’s good practice for everyone to be aware of what they’re sharing.

Educator Guide

Transportation Many of our campuses will have a bus which can be used for school care as well as excursions and outings into the community. The use of the bus is a high-risk activity, and only authorised educators are able to drive the bus. Please see the transportation pack in your campus for more information. If at any time, you are asked to drive the bus and do not feel comfortable or have not received a full induction then you need to decline this request, explaining the reason why.

Concerns or Complaints There is a grievance procedure listed in the foyer or reception area of each of our campuses. If you do have a concern about anything happening at the campus then first you need to address with the person this directly relates to. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, then you need to speak with a member of the leadership team. If you do not feel comfortable with any one on the leadership team then please feel free to contact your operations manager or regional manager. Details can be found in the campus foyer.

Answering the Phone At times you may need to answer the phone at the campus. Please ensure to answer the phone – “Good afternoon, Little Scholars School of Early Learning, you are speaking to _________ , how may I help you?” If you are unable to assist the person calling at the time, please ensure you take a detailed message and pass this on to the campus manager. Please also remember when answering the phone to do this in a quiet space so you are able to respond to the caller appropriately.

Educator Guide

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